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Staff

Colleen Finegan Bailey

Colleen Bailey

President/CEO
Colleen@SalinasChamber.com

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Colleen is the newest member of the chamber team but brings a wealth of experience to her new role as the President and CEO.  A native of Salinas, Colleen has a long history of leadership in the education and nonprofit sectors, having most recently served as the Executive Director of the Monterey Jazz Festival.  Prior to that, Colleen was the Executive Director of the National Steinbeck Center where her innovative programming resulted in extensive national media coverage and earned the organization the 2014 Exemplary Nonprofit Organization Award from the Non-Profit Alliance of Monterey County.  Deeply committed to the community, Colleen has served on numerous boards, commissions and advisory groups including YOSAL, York School, Sacred Heart School, Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Salinas Valley Tourism & Visitors Bureau, the Salinas City Public Arts Commission, the Nonprofit Alliance of Monterey County, the Community Foundation for Monterey County's Center for Nonprofit Excellence Advisor Circle and on the Dean's Advisory Committee at CSUMB.

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Gabriel John Lopez

Membership Development Director
Gabe@SalinasChamber.com

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Gabe Lopez is passionate about the Salinas Valley local economy and works daily to engage, grow and speak up for small business. He joined the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce as the Membership Development Director in 2022 after serving in sales, training and management roles in the pest control business for nearly five years. Gabe spent another five years working in sales and customer support roles for Comcast. Gabe was born and raised in Salinas. He attended local schools and grew up working in his father’s small business of nearly (30) years. Gabe loves the outdoors and loves the greater Salinas Valley.

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Jasmine Bhardwaj

Marketing & Member Services Manager
Jasmine@SalinasChamber.com

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Local to Monterey County, Jasmine Bhardwaj was raised in Gonzales and born in Salinas. As she's the daughter of a small business owner, she has been passionate about the Salinas Valley and the local economy from a young age. Jasmine is also a proud California State University Monterey Bay. As a first-generation graduate, Jasmine holds a degree in Business Administration with dual concentrations in management, international business, and accounting (go otters). She has six years of professional work experience in the food and beverage sector and three years of experience working in a university environment. She has a strong commitment to community involvement, advocacy, and fostering a robust local economy. During her free time, Jasmine enjoys watching shows, doing karaoke, and spending time with her family and friends.

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Bryan Cabello

Digital Marketing Specialist
Bryan@SalinasChamber.com

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Bryan Cabello, a Salinas native, graduated from Hartnell College with three Associate degrees in Economics, Business Administration, and Political Science. During his time at Hartnell, he served as Vice President of the Associated Students of Hartnell College. Since then, Bryan has remained deeply involved in the community, dedicating much of his time to assisting local businesses in boosting their online presence. From redesigning websites for nonprofits to creating promotional content for local establishments, Bryan’s expertise in digital marketing and business development has helped many businesses grow and thrive in the modern marketplace. In his free time, Bryan enjoys competing in start-up competitions, where his entrepreneurial spirit shines.

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Cesar Chavez

Digital Marketing Specialist
Cesar@SalinasChamber.com

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Cesar Chavez grew up in King City where he also graduated from in 2020. He serves as a part of the King City High School Track & Field coaching staff while also receiving two Associates degrees from Monterey Peninsula College in Economics and Business Administration. Cesar enjoys giving back to his community volunteering at local events, and overseeing coaching duties by preparing student-athletes in the jumping events. Given free time, Cesar likes to stay active, with hiking and exploring nature being a big part of his life in addition to photographing anything that catches his eye.

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Kevin Dayton

Government Affairs Consultant
Kevin@SalinasChamber.com

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Kevin Dayton has 31 years of professional experience in public policy analysis and strategy for a broad range of issues. He was based for five years in Washington, DC, seven years in the San Francisco Bay Area, ten years in Sacramento, and in the past nine years in Monterey County. He’s under contract to the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce as its Government Affairs Liaison.

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Mac McDonald

Salinas Valley Business Journal Editor

 

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Mac McDonald is a U.S. Navy veteran with more than 35 years experience as a journalist, working as a reporter, editor, proofreader and photographer on five different newspapers. Mac spent 22 years as a reporter and editor for the Monterey County Herald, the last dozen years as a entertainment columnist and editor of the GO! entertainment section of the Herald. He’s worked as a freelance writer and editor for the past eight years. He lives in Southern California with his wife Beth, who owns a small business in Dana Point and is a board member and past chair of the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce.

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